Collection Development Policy
This collection development policy is intended to define how the Library’s collections should be shaped in order to support the mission, goals and objectives of the Library.
It is the philosophy of the Kent
Memorial Library to serve “the
community by providing learning resources and information services that support
and improve individual, family, and community life.” (KML
The Library subscribes to the Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read statement.
Our goals in support of our mission are:
Responsibility for materials selection rests with the Library Director. The staff will make selections for materials based on staff reviews, reviews in reputable journals, and recommendations from individuals and groups.
The following criteria will be considered in the selection process:
The Library shall not acquire any material that appeals solely to the prurient interest.
Multiple copies of a title will be purchased in print format as resources allow to satisfy demands. Additional copies of non-print items may be purchased as the discretion of the staff.
Types of Material Purchased:
Books: Hardcover, paperbacks, large print and board books are acquired based on subject, need and popularity. Textbooks are not purchased for the collection.
Periodicals: Representative periodicals are provided in a variety of subject fields. Periodicals that are useful in reference and indexed in the Reader’s Guide and Infotrac guides or bibliographies may be selected for purchase.
Newspapers: We buy some local and regional newspapers. Others will be considered as resources allow.
Pamphlets: Selected with emphasis on current, ephemeral subject areas.
Maps and Atlases: Provided to supplement reference sources.
Material for the Historical
Room: Pamphlets, clippings, images, ephemera and monographs of significant
historical importance for the Town of
Books-on-Tape
Books-on-CD
Compact Discs (music)
CD-ROMs (educational and entertainment)
DVDs (non-fiction and feature films)
The Library will cease collecting material on Video Tape and Microforms except in extraordinary circumstances where the material is vital to the collection and is available in no other format.
Some print resources are now available online, which provides for easier searching and saves space (e.g. Hartford Courant Index)
Realia: Non-informational items, such as a magnifying glass, and awkwardly shaped print materials (e.g. the eyeball book)
Equipment: VCR, tape recorder, DVD player
Museum passes
Selection in adult:
The Library will select Adult materials for core constituencies comprised of the General Public (with its varied interests and needs), Consumers, Senior Citizens, New Readers/New Citizens (including Foreign Language material), and the Business community based on selection criteria outlined above. This material will consist of reference, general non-fiction, general fiction, and bestsellers, and will be chosen from both print and non-print media.
Selection in Young Adult:
Young Adults are served with a separate collection organized in the Young Adult area. Materials are chosen with an understanding that adolescence covers a wide range of ages, reading skills, and development levels. The collection is designed to encourage browsing and includes periodicals and paperbacks, as well as books on topics of interest to young people. Videos, CD-ROMs and CDs are also purchased with teen interests in mind but are shelved with the adult collection. Primarily grades seven to twelve are served, but there should be some overlap in materials with grades five and six for the youth that are ready to move out of the children’s room.
Selection in children’s:
Children’s selection policies are geared to create a collection that satisfies the informational, recreational, and cultural needs and encourages realization of the full potential of children from infancy through grade six.
To achieve this objective, a varied selection of material, including books, books-on-tape/CD, videos, DVDs, CD-ROMs, CDs, periodicals, and realia are made available for and accessible to children.
Children are recognized as having a right to read. Children have complete and easy access to all materials within the entire library, including the adult department. Children have full rights to make use of interlibrary loan and to reserve library materials.
Parents are responsible for what their child selects for reading and viewing material. It is a parent’s duty to monitor their child’s use of the library and its collections.
A Patron has the right to question the inclusion of an material in the collection. If anyone has any concerns about a particular item in the collection, the form below should be filled out and submitted to the Library Director.
Request for Reconsideration of Library
Materials
Title____________________________________________________________________
Author (if appropriate)_____________________________________________________
Request initiated by________________________________________________________
Telephone____________________Address_____________________________________
City_____________________________________Zip____________________________
Please answer the following questions:
To what in the item do you object? (Please be specific)____________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Did you read or view the entire item?__________________________________________
If not, which portion did you read or view?_____________________________________
Date_________________________
Please
return this form to James McShane, Director, Kent Memorial Library,
Rev. 2/05